Indiewire Picks the 10 Most Buzzed About Films Premiering at SXSW 2014

By
Nigel M. Smith and Eric Kohn
|
IndiewireMarch 6, 2014 at 12:14PM

The 2014 SXSW Film Festival kicks off this Friday with the world premiere of Jon Favreau's star-studded comedy "Chef." The latest edition of the event is poised to deliver an exciting combination of new talents and established names. Here's a sampling of the movies that Indiewire's team is looking forward to checking out at this year's festival.

If the red-band trailer for "Neighbors" is any
indication, SXSW audiences are in for foul-mouthed, hilarious time when
Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Dave Franco bring their little bit of mayhem
to Austin. Directed by "The Muppets" scribe Nick Stoller, "Neighbors" is
about a young couple (Rose Byrne and Rogen) who are forced to live
next to a fraternity house, headed by Efron's bad-boy character, after
the birth of their first child. Cue the mayhem. Not set to open wide
till May 9th, the super early SXSW preview screening is a huge vote
of confidence by Universal. The company made a similar move when it
screened "Bridesmaids" as a work-in-progress back at SXSW in 2011 before
its summer release. We all know how funny that film was.

"Open Windows"

Spanish director Nacho Vigalando has
proven himself adroit at toying with genre tropes and audience
expectations with his features "Timecrimes" and "Extraterrestrial,"
neither of which are exactly what they seem. With this Elijah Wood
vehicle, Vigalando continues to experiment with film form even as he
pays homage to Brian De Palma with this incessantly split screen
narrative, also a cheeky homage to Austin's vibrant film culture. Wood
plays a young man who wins a contest to meet the actress he adores, only
to wind up trapped by an unseen man who guides his every move and
forces him to stalk the woman. The entire story plays out on a single
computer screen through a series of -- you guessed it -- open windows.
Anyone excited about innovative filmmaking approaches won't want to miss
this one.

"Print the Legend"

A documentary that tracks the rise of the 3D printer might sound like a snooze to some, but for any tech geek, this is the film to see at the fest. The film centers on the inside world of Brooklyn-based MakerBot Industries and the company's CEO Bre Pettis. Competing companies are also profiled in the documentary. Billed by SXSW as the "definite 3D printing documentary," "Print the Legend" marks the first time cameras have documented the lives of the people behind the "next industrial revolition" (again, per SXSW). Watch the trailer below:

"Vessel"Even the big issue documentaries at SXSW have a deeply personal element to them. "Vessel," which revolves around a doctor who travels around the world in a boat providing abortions at sea, looks like the one that will fit that description. Diana Whitten's portrait of Dr. Rebecca Gomperts promises a riveting experience as its subject helps women who have no other option but to go beyond the legal restrictions surrounding them. Emboldened by technology, Dr. Whitten's quest is also one that gels nicely with the forward-leaning, gadget-savvy crowd at SXSW.

"Wild Canaries"

A modern-day film noir, "Wild Canaries"
centers on two roommates (Alia Shawkat, best known for "Arrested
Development" and indie darling Sophia Takal) who set out to investigate
the mysterious death of their elderly downstairs neighbor, Sylvia. When
the two discover evidence that links her murder to their own apartment,
everyone becomes a suspect. Directed by actor-filmmaker Lawrence Michael
Levine ("Gabi on the Roof in July"), "Wild Canaries" (at least on
paper) sounds a lot like "Cold Weather," another indie noir that
made a huge splash at SXSW in 2010. Here's hoping "Wild Canaries" follows
in that film's footsteps.